WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County is nearing an initial budget for its new jail and behavioral care center.
The county council voted 4-3 Tuesday night, April 28, to preliminarily approve an initial budget ceiling of $225 million for the two facilities.
It aims to cap spending at $205 million for the jail and $20 million for the behavioral care center, though neither are expected to be a final number.
Council member Jon Scanlon wanted to push the vote back by one or two weeks, citing more specifics that were requested during the public comment period, which lasted nearly three hours.
But council member Ben Elenbaas says the council is on a time crunch to expedite the process.
“I’ve heard anywhere between $25,000 and $50,000 a day of added cost,” Elenbaas said at the meeting. “So if we hold for two weeks, and I’ll just say $40,000, that’s another $560,000 that we add. That’s half a million dollars.”
County facilities manager Rob Ney told the council that the programming team is ready to begin the design phase for the project, it just needs a clear direction. Tuesday’s vote to tentatively approve the budget will allow the team to begin some planning.
The council will hold a special meeting next Tuesday morning, May 5, where it will seek final approval of the preliminary budget.
